Apparatus for utilizing and dispensing air conditioner condernsate



July 30, 1968 GLICKMAN 3,394,560

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING AND DISPENSING AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSATE Filed NOV. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l LEON eRD GLICKIVIAN Jam/9m y 30, 1968 L. GLICKMAN 3,394,560

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING AND DISPENSING AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSATE Filed Nov. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOI? 3 LEON RD GLICKIVIAN United States Patent 3,394,560 APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING AND DISPENSING AIR CGNDITIONER CONDENSATE Leonard Glickman, 3001 N. Bay Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33140 Filed Nov. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 596,250 6 Claims. (Cl. 62-279) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for utilizing and dispensing air conditioner condensate having an enclosed chamber open on one side, a condenser positioned in the opening, a venturi positioned at an opposing wall, the venturi having an arcuate cross sectional collar, the opposing wall being set at an oblique angle to the condenser, a motor shaft extending axially of the venturi, a fan blade mounted on the shaft within the chamber and extending beyond the collar whereby air currents are formed in the enclosed chamber carrying moisture to the opposing wall where the moisture is deposited and caused to flow to the arcuate collar and drop off into the stream of air flowing through the venturi to be carried to the condenser.

This invention relates to air conditioning systems of the air cooled type and is more particularly directed to apparatus for utilizing and dispensing condensate formed in the air conditioner.

In the operation of air cooled air conditioners during the cooling cycle the moisture in the atmosphere is condensed and unless piped off or otherwise disposed, this condensate will accumulate in the pump of the air conditioner. Attempts have been made to increase the efliciency of the condenser by utilizing this condensate and at the same time disposing it. These attempts have not been successful because the fan blade that blows the air through the condenser served to disperse the condensate away from the path of air flowing to the condenser. Consequently very little of the condensate would be removed from the sump and be deposited on the condenser to cool the latter. Soon the sump would be overflowing with condensate resulting in the leakage of water from the air conditioner in the form of a continual dripping of water from the air conditioner, which is the condition that exists with most air conditioners. The present invention contemplates avoiding this condition whereby the efiiciency of the condenser is increased by utilizing all of the condensate formed in the sump as well as ridding the air conditioner of the condensate.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an air cooled air conditioner with means for converting the condensate formed during the cooling cycle of operation into droplets of moisture and directing same into the path of air flowing to the condenser to cool the latter and at the same time remove the condensate from the air conditioner whereby the efiiciency of the air conditioning system is increased measurably.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air cooled air conditioner with a fan mounted before a venturi wall at the center of the venturi with its blades extending beyond a venturi collar and at an oblique angle to a condenser for creating air streams that return flow to the venturi wall whereby moisture is entrained in the flow of air passing through the venturi.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an air cooled air conditioner with means for utilizing and dispensing the condensate which means is simple in construction and operation and inexpensive in cost and most effective in increasing the efficiency of the air conditioner.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will 3,394,560 Patented July 30, 1968 be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications ma-rk no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view with its cover removed of an air conditioner constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 refers to an air cooled air conditioning system constructed in accordance with my invention and consisting of the usual rectangular chassis in which an evaporator 11 is mounted along a front wall 12 while at a rear wall 13 a condenser 14 is mounted. Side walls 15, 19 and 16 join the walls 12 and 13, 20, a bottom wall 17 and top wall 18 to form the chassis of the air conditioner 10. Mounted on the top wall 18 are openings 51 and 52 for the passage of air out of and into the confines of the chassis for passage of air through the evaporator 11 and condenser 14 as is explained in detail hereinafter.

Mounted within a chamber 29 centrally disposed in the air conditioner 10 is an electric motor 21 having opposed shafts 22 and 23. The shaft 22 extends through a wall 26 which is somewhat L-shaped and extends to the side walls and 16 by wall extensions 24 and 25 to form a chamber 27 sealed off from the remainder of the air conditioner 10. Mounted on the motor shaft 22 and within the chamber 27 is a blower 28 which receives air that enters the air conditioner 10 through the evaporator 11 wherein the air is cooled by the evaporating action of the coolant and discharged via the opening 51 into the area or room being air conditioned.

Th other motor shaft 23 extends through the center of a venturi opening 30 in a wall 31 having bent portions 32 and 33 that extend to the rear wall 13 on one side of the condenser 14 and bent portions 34, 35 and 36 that extend to the rear wall 13 on the other side of the condenser 14 to form a chamber 44. These walls form an air inlet passageway 37 that communicates with the opening 52 to bring air to the chamber 29 in which the motor 21 is mounted. The air is then forced through the venturi opening 30 by a fan 38 that is mounted in the motor shaft 23, the fan 38 being set at an oblique angle to the condenser 14 and front wall 13 for reasons set forth hereinafter. Openings 45, 46 and 47 in the walls 31, 26 and 25 respectively permit the flow of condensate that collects on the bottom wall 17 to flow from the evaporator chamber 27 to the condenser chamber 44 where the condensate is dispensed as is explained in detail hereinafter. The venturi 30 is formed by an arcuate collar-like member 50 that extends into the condenser chamber 44.

Mounted on the front wall 12 are conventional switches 39 while in the chamber 29 is a compressor 40 connected in the conventional manner by tubing 41, 42 to the condenser 14 and evaporator 11, forming no part of the present invention and therefore not shown or discussed in detail.

In the normal operation of my air conditioning system during the cooling cycle of operation, the motor 21 is energized causing the fan 38 and blower 28 to revolve.

Air is compelled to pass through the evaporator 11 by the blower 28 and discharged by way of the vent 51. As the air contacts the evaporator 11, it becomes chilled and any moisture therein will be condensed and collected in the chamber 11 on the bottom wall 17. Openings 47, 46 and 45 in the walls 25, 26 and 31 along with the usual mounting of the air conditioner in a tilted position causes the condensate to flow from the evaporator chamber 27 into the compressor chamber 29 and into th condenser chamber 44. By virtue of the construction and arrangement of the chamber 44 as shown and described herein the fan 38 is able to pick up the condensate in the form of droplets of water and direct this moisture into the condenser 14. There the moisture cools the hot condenser 14 evaporating into vapor where with the air current passing through the condenser 14 leaves the air conditioner 10.

Heretofore, attempts to utilize a fan to pick up condensate in an air conditioner for the purpose of impelling the moisture into a condenser have been unsuccessful. The reason for this is that as a fan revolves rapidly over a body of water, air flying off the tips of the fan blades will impinge on the surface of water directly below the fan blade. Consequently instead of condensate flowing to the position below the blades where air under pressure could churn the water and pick up moisture to be carried by the air propelled by the fan blades, there is a void of water, namely a valley or depression exposing the bottom wall 17 directly below the fan blade. Also, if any moisture were picked up by the rapidly revolving fan blades, this moisture would be ejected into the air in a direction away from the area of high velocity and low pressure air at the venturi 30 where the air is propelled in the direction of the condenser 14.

It is to be noted that the fan 38 is positioned at an oblique angle with relation to the condenser 14 so that air propelled by the fan blades 38 strikes the condenser 14 at an angle and is unable to pass therethrough without building up a slight back pressure. Therefore, some of the air that impinges directly on the condenser 14 will pass through the condenser fins and escape into the atmosphere while the remainder will circulate back toward the venturi wall 32, 31 in the direction of the low pressure air passing through the venturi 30.

Since the fan 38 is facing the walls 35, 36 most of the air propelled by the fan 38 will be directed against the walls 35 and 36 where the pressure will become high and air will rebound and return along the wall 35, 34 to the venturi wall 31 where it will find itself entering the air stream at the venturi 30.

These two streams of air flow returning to venturi wall 31 carry the droplets of water being picked up and slung by the fan blades 38 toward the venturi wall 31 where the moisture collects. The droplets of water will flow down the surface of the venturi wall 31 and deposit on the venturi collar 50 flowing downwardly along both sides thereof to approximately the hub height 23. As the droplets of moisture are flowing down both sides of the venturi collar 50, the air flowing through the venturi 30 creates a suction that causes the moisture to simultaneously flow forwardly toward the lip or free edge of the venturi collar 50. When the droplets of water have arrived at hub height 23, it will flow over the lip, into the air stream flowing through the venturi and be comminuted by the rotating fan blades 38 into minute particles which are now carried by the air stream into the condenser. It has been noted that the portion of the condenser 14 nearest the wall 36 is virtually dry of any moisture while the remainder of the condenser 14 is wet with the water that has been deposited thereon by the air stream created by the fan 38.

As long as water will flow into the condenser chamber 31, the fan 38 will pick up the moisture as aforesaid, direct it into the air stream passing through the venturi 30 and deposit it on the condenser 14 thereby increasing the effectiveness of the condenser 14 by cooling same and increasing the efliciency of the air conditioner 10.

Having disclosed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for utilizing and dispensing air conditioner condensate comprising a wall having venturi means, air propelling means mounted in close proximity to said venturi means, a condenser mounted at an oblique angle to said air propelling means, further wall means forming an enclosed chamber with said wall and said condenser, said venturi means having a collar extending into said chamber and said air propelling means having blade portions extending beyond said collar, said wall having an opening for the entrance of condensate into said chamber whereby upon actuating of said air propelling means, return air currents are created in said enclosed chamber carrying condensate to said first named wall, said venturi wall and into the air stream flowing through said venturi means to said condenser.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said venturi means comprises a substantially circular collar extending into said chamber and having an arcuate cross section forming an elevated lip portion.

3. The structure as recited by claim 2 wherein said air propelling means comprises a fan positioned in said enclosed chamber and having blade portions extending beyond said lip portion of said venturi means.

4. Apparatus for utilizing and dispensing air conditioner condensate comprising a wall having venturi means having a collar forming a lip portion at its free edge, air propelling means mounted adjacent said lip of said venturi means, a condenser, further wall means joining said condenser and said first named wall and forming an enclosed chamber with said air propelling means within said enclosed chamber, said first named wall having an opening for the entrance of condensate into said enclosed chamber, said further wall means being positioned in the path of air stream created by said air propelling means whereby upon actuation of said air propelling means, return air currents are created in said enclosed chamber by said further wall means carrying condensate to said first named wall, said collar and into the air stream flowing through said venturi means toward said condenser.

5. The structure as recited by claim 4 wherein said collar has an arcuate cross section to form said lip extending into said enclosed chamber.

6. The structure as recited by claim 5 wherein said air propelling means comprises a fan positioned in said enclosed chamber and having blade portions extending beyond said lip portion of said venturi means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,730,873 1/1956 Hardin 62280 2,804,758 9/1957 Smith 62-280 2,896,860 7/1959 Eberhart 62-280 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner. 

